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Tax Tips for Hoosiers – Part 2

INDIANAPOLIS (Feb. 12, 2014) –This is the second of several news releases that will provide important, need-to-know tax tips to Indiana taxpayers.

With the tax season underway, many taxpayers are filing electronically. This year, the department is offering qualified taxpayers free, online federal and state tax filing through Indiana Freefile (INfreefile). It’s fast, easy and free for Indiana taxpayers with an adjusted gross income (AGI) of $58,000 or less.

Last year, 78.8 percent of Indiana filers used some type of electronic filing. Of those returns filed, 98 percent were accurate, resulting in faster refunds. But nearly 20 percent of paper-filed returns were inaccurate or had mistakes. Here are the top three filing errors on paper returns:

Forgotten forms. If you forget to enclose that W-2 or a Schedule 2 to support a renter’s deduction or a homeowner’s property tax deduction claim, we’ll have to send a letter requesting that information.

Claiming more deductions and credits than entitled. For example, $3,000 is the most you can claim as a renter’s deduction; claiming more than that will cause your return to be put on hold and reviewed, which will result in a delayed refund or a bill.

Math errors. Even with a calculator, it’s easy to miss a step, to add where we should have subtracted or to transpose some numbers when writing them down.

Although the Indiana Department of Revenue accepts paper filing as a method of filing income taxes, the best way to avoid these top mistakes is to file electronically. However, if a taxpayer would still like to file by paper, the forms are available:

Remember, taxpayers who have filed can check the status of their refund online at www.in.gov/dor/4339.htm. Refunds should be received within 10 to 14 days if the taxpayer electronically filed and within 10 to 12 weeks if the taxpayer paper filed.

For more information about this year’s tax season, please visit www.in.gov/dor.